Underage smokers get hands on dodgy fags

Around a third of kids between 14 and 17 in the North West admit to smoking dodgy fags.

More than 8000 teenagers between 14 and 17 years old in the North West have admitted to smoking fake cigarettes, now a campaign's been launched to encourage mums and dads to report the illegal trade.

It's called "Get Some Answers" and has been launched by trading standards and smoke free North West.

Around 75 per cent of people - many of them mums - who took part in a survey were more likely to report someone for selling tobacco if they thought their own children may be at risk from being targeted.

Mike Donnelly from Smoke Free Wirral has been telling Heart: "Unfortunately this illicit tobacco that is coming in, some of the stuff that’s going in them are worse than normal cigarettes.

He goes on to say getting cigarettes from people in car boot sales to avoid tax isn't a good move: "they kind of perceive them as Robin Hood figures but they're keeping our kids smoking and encouraging them to smoke."